Isn’t Your Protest One More Act Of Deception, Chandrababu? 

Jagannadhapuram, West Godavari District: As I walked from Palakollu to Achanta, hordes of people met me, narrating a host of problems. They did not suffer to this extent under any government they said. They were furious that Chandrababu Naidu did nothing for them, except give them grief and tears. Lecturers of polytechnic colleges who met me in the morning, said—“Sir, Chandrababu has been playing with our lives on the one hand. For him to stage a protest for the development of the state now, is a cruel joke on us. After having made hundreds of promises not one of which has been fulfilled, is he not deceiving the people of the state again?“

Without demonstrating any sincerity for the development of the state what purpose does it serve to indulge in such theatrics, they asked. If he has any amount of sincerity, why did he not fight for Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh all along. This was their simple question.

The YSR Congress party leaders and cadre staged a Deception Day protest today over Chandrababu Naidu’s series of betrayals, for having buried the demand for SCS to the state for four long years. They protested against his fresh round of cheating and betrayals. On my Padayatra today, people in large numbers, expressed their solidarity with those observing Deception Day and many of them sported black badges and wore black shirts. I am grateful to every single individual who stood by our party expressing his or her solidarity on this occasion.

If it was SCs yesterday, it was BCs today, who narrated to me the manner in which they were cheated by Chandrababu Naidu. I could see the anger in the representatives of BC communities who met me today. They told me that the the government was closing down hostels claiming that the number of BC students was on the decline and were furious with the TDP establishment for making up such lame excuses.

I was moved by the pathetic condition of these BC students who have no hostels and were left to fend for themselves. “Anna, there are no facilities worth the name in hostels. The mess charges in prisons would be better. They are given Rs.125 per day, while school students get Rs.25 per day and college students, Rs. 35! Even this is not on account of anything which Chandrababu had done for us. The credit for this goes to your father, the late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who increased our mess charges from Rs.16 to Rs. 35 in 2006.” To think that the same charges will be continued for 12 years was unimaginable! “Anna, look at the injustice Chandrababu has wrought. He does not increase mess charges, does not release scholarships and shuts down our hostels. Fee reimbursement has been watered down completely. Of the 37,000 loan applicants through the BC Corporation in this district, only 1900 were sanctioned three years ago. Even these were not given funds! Isn’t this rank injustice?“ They felt cheated that they were used as mere vote banks by Chandrababu Naidu and later discarded.

Chandrababu Naidu feels that BCs are not competent enough to be judges. He has said so in his letters and this alone reflects how much he cares for us, said these young men from BC communities. They felt reassured by my promise that if my father extended a helping hand to BC communities in a big way, I would walk the extra mile for them.

I have a question for the chief minister — you claim that you are protesting for the development of the state and rededicating yourself to this cause. People say that you are the sole obstacle to its growth and progress. Did you not write a letter seeking the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh? Didn’t you cast the first vote to divide the state? Didn’t you claim in Telangana that it was on the basis of your letter that the state was divided and in Andhra that injustice was done to the state through division? Isn’t this a clear example of your forked tongue? Because you were caught in the notes-for-votes case, did you not find yourself in a helpless position when it came to asking for the rightful dues for Andhra Pradesh? Did you not pledge Special Category Status to the state in lieu of your own selfish interests? Is it not clear deception now on your part to resort to protest in the name of development of the state after having looted it and sucked its lifeblood to its marrow?